Project highlight: Solar Park Bellingwolde
On the border of the Netherlands and Germany, in the municipality of Westerwolde,
we developed Solar Park Bellingwolde, a large-scale solar park where renewable
energy, infrastructure, and collaboration take centre stage.
The idea for this solar park came from landowner Kor Werkman. He saw an opportunity
to generate sustainable energy on his land and wanted to contribute to a greener
Groningen. Together, we developed that idea further. The solar park is now feeding
renewable energy into the grid, a project where we work alongside local partners to
build a future-proof energy system
Contributing to Groningen’s energy targets
With Solar Park Bellingwolde, we are contributing to Groningen’s energy ambitions:
generating at least 5.7 TWh of renewable energy within the province by 2030. Reaching
that target requires large-scale energy projects.
With an installed capacity of approximately 74 MWp, Zonnepark Bellingwolde delivers
renewable energy to thousands of households, a concrete step towards Groningen’s
energy goals.
More than a solar park
The park is now running at full capacity. Together with grid operators and suppliers, we
manage energy flows intelligently and make the most of every kilowatt generated.
From the very start, our design looked beyond energy generation alone. We already
factored in battery storage. This means we are not just building a solar park, we are
building an energy system where generation, storage, and consumption come together
in a smart, integrated way.
Building green energy together
Energy projects are never built alone. The initiative came from the landowner himself.
Co-development is the goal with the landowner, the local community, the municipality, and regional partners. Working together produces projects that fit the landscape
and are ready for the future.
The municipality of Westerwolde wanted the project to benefit the local area. That is
why we work with energy cooperative Lethe Stroomt and this goes beyond consultation. Part of Zonnepark Bellingwolde is now owned by the cooperative, meaning a
share of the revenues flows back into the community and local initiatives.
That does not happen often. Local energy cooperatives are regularly involved in
discussions. Sharing in the profits? That is far less common. In this way, we are
building not just renewable energy infrastructure, but a lasting relationship with the
surrounding community, where the returns are visible not only in green energy, but
in the neighborhood itself.
Together we think about landscape design, biodiversity, soil quality, and how the project
fits within its surroundings. An energy project does not stand apart from the area in
which it is built, it becomes part of the landscape for decades to come.
No cable route? We’ll sort it.
The biggest challenge of this project was not the solar park itself, it was the
infrastructure behind it. Connection capacity had already been reserved with Enexis
before the project began, but the grid operator was unable to lay the cable connection.
So we took matters into our own hands.
Together with our partners, we built a 12.3-kilometre cable route between Bellingwolde
and Winschoten. In total, 110.7 kilometres of cable were laid underground. This ensures
that the energy generated can actually reach the grid. We had never delivered a cable
route of this scale before. That is exactly the kind of challenge we at Novar relish. If one
route doesn’t work, we find another. We get it done.
And getting it done is rarely straightforward. The original route proved unfeasible, so
together with landowners and the municipality we mapped out a new one, which
meant redesigning, realigning, negotiating, and acting.
2,000 solar panels a day
Once bank financing was secured in 2025, construction of both the solar park and
the infrastructure began in earnest. From that point, everything came together. EPC
contractors, cable builders, grid operators, and civil contractors worked simultaneously
on the same site. The schedule was tight, yet the project kept pace.
At peak moments, we were installing nearly 2,000 solar panels per day. By the end of
2025, the last panels were in place and the solar park delivered renewable energy
to the grid for the first time. A period of rapid decision-making, problem-solving, and
pressing forward.
Reaping the rewards
From the outset, we paid close attention to the landscape design of the site. Even
before construction began, we started planting hedgerows, shrubs, and a fruit orchard
around the perimeter. The fruit is already growing on the trees, it won’t be long before
we can quite literally enjoy the harvest.
We are deliberately making space for biodiversity, while preserving existing landscape
structures. Sight lines, the substation, and the layout of the site are all designed to
ensure the solar park fits naturally within its surroundings.
Room for the future
Solar Park Bellingwolde shows how energy projects are evolving. It is no longer
just about standalone solar parks. We are building complete energy systems where
generation, infrastructure, storage, and smart energy use come together.
By thinking ahead and taking responsibility for the entire system, we make sustainable
energy projects possible in places where they would otherwise not be. And that is
precisely where we make the difference